Systems and methods for automated local story generation and curation

Abstract

Systems and methods for automated local story generation and curation are described. In one example embodiment, a server computer receives content from client devices, and processes the content to identify content characteristics. Stories are then generated based on the characteristics of the received content, and the stories are communicated to client devices. In certain embodiments, selection at a client device of an individual piece of content within a story may further be used by the system to provide the client device with a sub-story that includes pieces of content sharing content characteristics with the characteristics of the selected image or video.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 receiving, at a server system, a plurality of content communications from a first plurality of client devices, each content communication from the plurality of content communications comprising a video clip, a location and a time associated with the video clip; 
 processing, by the server system, each content communication from the plurality of content communications to determine a plurality of content characteristics, for each video clip, the plurality of content characteristics comprising quality metrics; 
 automatically generating, by the server system, at least a first media collection, wherein the first media collection comprises a first plurality of video clips from the plurality of content communications associated with a first geographic visibility area, and wherein the first plurality of video clips for the first media collection are selected based on the location for each video clip and the quality metrics for each video clip of the first plurality of video clips; 
 communicating the first media collection to a second plurality of client devices within the first geographic visibility area; 
 analyzing a plurality of incoming content messages from the second plurality of client devices within the first geographic visibility area to determine system trends associated with the first media collection; 
 adjusting the first geographic visibility area of the first media collection to a second geographic visibility area based on the system trends associated with the first media collection; 
 communicating the first media collection to a third plurality of client devices within the second geographic visibility area, the third plurality of client devices within the second geographic visibility area comprising a first client device; 
 receiving, at the server system from the first client device, a selection communication associated with a video clip of the first media collection; 
 automatically generating, by the server system, a second media collection, wherein the second media collection comprises a second plurality of video clips, and wherein the second plurality of video clips are selected from the first plurality of video clips based on having one or more content characteristics in common with the video clip associated with the selection communication; and 
 communicating the second media collection to the first client device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first plurality of video clips is further selected based on:
 a content time period; and 
 one or more content categories associated with each video clip of the first plurality of video clips by a machine vision analysis of each video clip. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  further comprising, prior to generating the first media collection:
 determining, by the server system, a baseline content receipt rate for a first set of content characteristics; 
 determining, by the server system, that a current content receipt rate associated with the first set of content characteristics has deviated from the baseline content receipt rate by more than a threshold amount; and 
 adjusting a media collection visibility area for the first media collection based on the determination that the current content receipt rate for the first set of content characteristics has deviated from the baseline content receipt rate by more than the threshold amount. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2  wherein the one or more content categories are determined using machine vision processes operating as part of the server system to analyze each received content communication. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  wherein the machine vision processes generate one or more content characteristic values for each video clip from a content dictionary; and
 wherein the one or more content categories are determined using the content characteristic values for each video clip. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein first geographic visibility area is a local geographic area, the second geographic visibility area is a regional geographic area comprising a plurality of local geographic areas, and the first geographic visibility area is a first local geographic area of the plurality of local geographic areas within the regional geographic area. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1  wherein the second geographic visibility area is a local geographic area, the first geographic visibility area is a regional geographic area comprising a plurality of local geographic areas, and the second geographic visibility area is a first local geographic area of the plurality of local geographic areas within the regional geographic area. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving, from the first client device, a first client device location; 
 communicating at least two stories to the first client device, wherein the at least two stories comprise the first media collection, wherein each of the at least two stories is associated with the first geographic visibility area, and wherein the first geographic visibility area for each of the at least two stories encompasses the first client device location. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 after the adjusting the first geographic visibility area, automatically re-generating, by the server system, the first media collection based on the second geographic visibility area. 
 
     
     
       10. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors cause a server system to:
 receive, at a server system, a plurality of content communications from a first plurality of client devices, each content communication from the plurality of content communications comprising a video clip, a location and a time associated with the video clip; 
 process, by the server system, each content communication from the plurality of content communications to determine a plurality of content characteristics, for each video clip, the plurality of content characteristics comprising quality metrics; 
 automatically generate, by the server system, at least a first media collection, wherein the first media collection comprises a first plurality of video clips from the plurality of content communications associated with a first geographic visibility area, and wherein the first plurality of video clips for the first media collection are selected based on the location for each video clip and the quality metrics for each video clip of the first plurality of video clips; 
 communicate the first media collection to a second plurality of client devices within the first geographic visibility area; 
 analyze a plurality of incoming content messages from the second plurality of client devices within the first geographic visibility area to determine system trends associated with the first media collection; 
 adjust the first geographic visibility area of the first media collection to a second geographic visibility area based on the system trends associated with the first media collection; 
 communicate the first media collection to a third plurality of client devices within the second geographic visibility area, the third plurality of client devices within the second geographic visibility area comprising a first client device; 
 receive, at the server system from the first client device, a selection communication associated with a video clip of the first media collection; 
 automatically generate, by the server system, a second media collection, wherein the second media collection comprises a second plurality of video clips, and wherein the second plurality of video clips are selected from the first plurality of video clips based on having one or more content characteristics in common with the video clip associated with the selection communication; and 
 communicate the second media collection to the first client device. 
 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10  wherein the set of content characteristics for each video clip comprises:
 a local content geolocation area; 
 a content time period; and 
 one or more content categories determined from a machine vision analysis of each piece of content. 
 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10  wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the server system to:
 after the adjusting the first geographic visibility area, automatically re-generating, by the server system, the first media collection based on the second geographic visibility area.